Osun Govt Breaks Silence On Turning SDG’s Facility In Iragbiji To Soccer Base

Osun State Government has dismissed the alleged plan of turning Social Development Goals,SDG,Skill acquisition Centre in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area, to a campground of Osun United Football Club.

Blaze Newz recalls that the immediate past governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, who is also an indigene of Iragbiji during the township 32nd Iragbiji Day vowed that he will do everything possible for plans of the state government on the SDG’s facility come to pass.

According to Oyetola “As we all know, this is a project that is meant for our youths to acquire different technical and vocational skills thus promoting entrepreneurship and youth development. Turning the Centre into anything outside this is a disservice to the purpose it was meant for.

“As a person, I don’t have any problem with football, I love football but we won’t allow a project that is purposely built to cater for youth development in the area of entrepreneurial skills acquisition to become a football base for whatever reason.

“This is a project that we fought for and facilitated while in government for the benefit of youths in the state and anything short of what it is meant for is anti-development.

“I have taken it up already and I want to assure you that very soon, something will be done in that regard”.

But the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi in a statement signed on Monday said the allegations of turning the facility to soccer base was baseless.

The statement reads in part “As a matter of fact, it disturbs one’s imagination that a former governor of a state like Osun sees such a matter as a fertile opportunity to whip up unnecessary political sentiments.

“The present administration of Senator Ademola Adeleke will never be a party to anti-development for the people of Iragbiji

“For the knowledge and understanding of Mr Oyetola, barely less than two days when the allegations reared up its ugly head, Osun state Government swung into action through the state Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, alongside the officials of SDG by paying a visit to the palace of Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba AbdulRasheed Olabomi to provide the correct perspectives of the matter.

“Prince Adewusi, at the palace, assured the monarch that the use of the Centre for skill acquisitions will continue to remain the top priority of Ademola Adeleke’s administration.

“Osun state government also declared that the housing of the Osun United Football Club in the Centre is a temporary arrangement.

“We, therefore still find it totally disturbing and uncalled for that Mr Oyetola as a special guest at the 2023 Iragbiji day celebration will use it as an opportunity to fan embers of bad blood by raising the baseless and already settled matter.

“We wish to reiterate our strong resolve that Osun State Govt under the leadership of Senator Ademola Adeleke will continue to have relevant and constant engagement with all stakeholders in Iragbiji to ensure that the people of the town are, in no way, shortchanged about the original purpose for the establishment of the SDG funded Skills Acquisition Centre in Iragbiji.

“For the benefit of hindsight as previously reported, the SDG centres were not captured in the 2023 budget by the previous administration until Governor Ademola Adelekes’s administration made it a priority to refurbish and optimise the Centre for proper utilisation which has now been accordingly factored into 2024 budget presented before the Osun Parliament recently.”